Guild Wars 2

I’d like to take this time to discuss something that might affect some here. Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is something that anyone can have, from children to adults. One of the symptoms, that is evident from numerous posts, is the compulsion to have every new shiny that’s released in the Black Lion chests. A person will spend lots of money on BL keys for a chance at owning said new shiny. Even if this person fails to get what they want, rages at the game makers, and swear never to buy another key, they continue to do so with each new update. It’s an endless cycle that won’t stop, unless you first realize that you have this problem. Let’s not confuse those suffering from OCD to those with a gambling addiction. These are two separate problems, which can only compound when someone has both (but that would be a completely different thread).

People who suffer from OCD can lead normal GW2 lives. I can freely admit that I have a problem with wanting everything. From the new shinies in game, to getting every achievement unlocked and filled, I gotta have them all. The key here is to first recognize and understand the problem. If you feel compelled to try your hand in the fight against RNG, take a step back and ask yourself “Is this truly necessary to have fun in this game?”. Another good question to ask is “Should I really spend the money for this?” By actually thinking through this process, I was able to limit myself to only 15 BL keys. Did I get the Fused weapon I wanted? No. But thanks to reasoning, I’m able to prevent myself from falling into the uncontrollable buying spree that would see me opening chests until I got a drop. Reasoning also stops me from making complaints about the choices I made, as well as deflecting my failures on everything from bad RNG to market manipulators.

So if you’re in game, and you complain that you’re unable to stop buying BL keys or special chests that rely on chance, knowing full well that there’s no guarantee to get what you want, you may have OCD. And if you’re unable to control yourself, consider seeking help.

Smooth Penguin.5294:

I’d like to take this time to discuss something that might affect some here. Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is something that anyone can have, from children to adults. One of the symptoms, that is evident from numerous posts, is the compulsion to have every new shiny that’s released in the Black Lion chests. A person will spend lots of money on BL keys for a chance at owning said new shiny. Even if this person fails to get what they want, rages at the game makers, and swear never to buy another key, they continue to do so with each new update. It’s an endless cycle that won’t stop, unless you first realize that you have this problem. Let’s not confuse those suffering from OCD to those with a gambling addiction. These are two separate problems, which can only compound when someone has both (but that would be a completely different thread).

People who suffer from OCD can lead normal GW2 lives. I can freely admit that I have a problem with wanting everything. From the new shinies in game, to getting every achievement unlocked and filled, I gotta have them all. The key here is to first recognize and understand the problem. If you feel compelled to try your hand in the fight against RNG, take a step back and ask yourself “Is this truly necessary to have fun in this game?”. Another good question to ask is “Should I really spend the money for this?” By actually thinking through this process, I was able to limit myself to only 15 BL keys. Did I get the Fused weapon I wanted? No. But thanks to reasoning, I’m able to prevent myself from falling into the uncontrollable buying spree that would see me opening chests until I got a drop. Reasoning also stops me from making complaints about the choices I made, as well as deflecting my failures on everything from bad RNG to market manipulators.

So if you’re in game, and you complain that you’re unable to stop buying BL keys or special chests that rely on chance, knowing full well that there’s no guarantee to get what you want, you may have OCD. And if you’re unable to control yourself, consider seeking help.

What if we just have large sums of money to spend and simply don’t care? And it in no way impacts our lives. I would call it OCBD, Obsessive Chest Buying Disorder. And I may or may not have it.

The question would be is OCD the correct diagnosis and or are there multiple reasons for obsessively collecting skins/pets/titles?

Have you considered the possibility of pathological collecting ( Compulsive hoarding ) ?

For many years hoarding has been listed as a symptom or a subtype of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD). The current DSM says that an OCD diagnosis should be considered when:
1. The hoarding is driven by fear of contamination or superstitious thoughts
2. The hoarding behavior is unwanted or highly distressing
3. The individual shows no interest in the hoarded items
4. Excessive acquisition is only present if there is a specific obsession with a certain item

Compulsive hoarding does not seem to involve the same neurological mechanisms as more familiar forms of obsessive–compulsive disorder and does not respond to the same drugs, which target serotonin. In compulsive hoarding the symptoms are presented in the normal stream of consciousness and as such, they are not perceived as repetitive or distressing like in OCD patients. More importantly, the statistics that indicate there is a prevalence of hoarding in 18-40 percent of patients with OCD, yet only five percent of compulsive hoarders experience symptoms of OCD

There are people who have money, and have no problems spending it. That’s ok. The problem here is that people don’t realize they have a problem. People who complain about needing to collect all mini pets, or needing to get their awesome chest only weapon skins, and not having any sort of guaranteed avenue to get them, are the ones who need to take a look in the mirror. All these things are optional, but the player’s desire to get them all can lead to other problems (i.e. financial).

Most people don’t get diagnosed by a professional. I never have, but I know the signs. There are many of them, and I’m only bringing up one. It’s all about knowledge. The more you know about yourself, the better off you are. I don’t hoard, but I do have that feeling of needing to collect things, for the sake of completeness (i.e. filling all empty mini slots). It drives me crazy to see empty slots, but not to the point where I must spend all my money to buy Gems to collect them all.

The more people who see the internal cause of their complaining, the better off they’ll be.